


Through Hell and Back

by MiyuWrites



Category: Ueki no Housoku | Law of Ueki
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-23 18:00:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21085505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyuWrites/pseuds/MiyuWrites
Summary: The competition was over, a new god was chosen.Little did everyone in the Celestial World know that the problems were about to begin.With more demonic forces in action, Ueki's team finds itself in the middle of the chaos that ensues. More, one of theirs is in the hands of the enemy.Ueki and his friends have to be fast if they want to save their friend.





	Through Hell and Back

**Author's Note:**

> Rewriting and posting this fic I started a long time ago with the title "Ordeal". I want to archive all my stories here on AO3. To finish them and have them nicely ordered. ^^  
Planning to finish this story as soon as possible. It's about time! :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own anything.  
Unbetaed.

The match against the last team from the third phase had ended with Ueki’s team winning. They had won against Barow team but at a high cost for their own team.

Sano was laying at a hospital bed, recovering from his injuries. Ueki was sitting in the room with his friend, waiting. He couldn’t help but think about how Sano ended up in his predicament. Guilt was gnawing at him, remembering how Sano had sacrificed himself to allow them to discover their enemy’s hidden power, how the other Celestial Being had completely overpowered him, until the point where he lost conscience. Sano waking up during Ueki’s match and being able to analyse and determine the power had been a huge help.

Ueki was slightly puzzled as to why he was so worried about Sano.

On the one hand, he knew that he had his friend in high regard since the first time they met; the way he protected him during his first match against Taira. And having him in his team had strengthened the bond between them immensely. Yet, just the friendship didn’t explain why he was so worried. Yes, he always worried when his friends got hurt during the matches but with Sano, it was different. Something was different about _this_ worry… it stirred unknown feelings and the confusion was starting to make his head hurt.

Fortunately he was saved from his inner turmoil by Sano. He was finally awake.

“Hey,” Sano said in a raspy voice. He was smiling slightly, trying to lift himself on his elbows so that he could rest against the headboard. His smile quickly turned into a grimace as his wounds hurt. Ueki hurried to help him. When he was settled, Sano looked at Ueki questioning. “So, how long since I dozed off?”

“Just one day, don’t worry” Ueki smiled.

“That’s not bad.” Sano said with a slight smile, but it turned into a frown quickly. Sano looked down at his hands and bit his lip. “I’m sorry for letting you down. I couldn’t tell you about his power. And because of me you got hurt.” One hand raised to rub at his eyes in frustration. Ueki sat there, dumbfounded. He didn’t understand why Sano would be feeling like that, he got hurt in nearly every much he entered, there was no reason for Sano to feel responsible.

“You didn’t do it at first,” Ueki shrugged, “but you did get in time to help me. That’s what matters the most.” Ueki smiled.

“But if I hadn’t blacked out you wouldn’t have been so hurt.” Sano looked up at Ueki.

“Don’t worry. I’m a Celestial Being and so, recover fast. Now I’m as good as new and you must focus and do the same. Feeling guilty isn’t helpful with that,” at this Ueki flashed a big grin. This made Sano flush a bit.

_What the hell was that? _He thought to himself._ It’s great that Ueki is concerned about me, to this level. It’s almost as if I was more important to Ueki than the others, like I was special in his eyes… _he ran a hand through his hair to break his train of thought.

“I have to go now,” Ueki said then, heedless of Sano’s behaviour, “the others are waiting for me. We’ll come back tomorrow to check up on you, okay? So hurry up and heal.” He grinned.

“Yeah, I’ll do my best. See you and the others tomorrow, then…” Sano yawned and started laying down on the bed, helped by Ueki.

Ueki busied himself with tucking the covers when he noticed that Sano had already fallen asleep.

With a smile, Ueki left the room.

_I have some thinking to do_… he said to himself as he walked resolutely.

* * *

Ueki returned to the house that had been provided to their team. Of course that his friends started with questions about Sano’s condition as soon as he had closed the door.

“He’s recovering. He looked much better when I left. But he was tired and needs to recover. So, let’s just go there tomorrow, yeah?” Ueki sat on the fluffy sofa and exhaled. “But, how about you guys?” He waited for his friends to get comfortable before they told him about their day.

“The tour? Oh, it was very interesting.” Rinko started saying.

Tenko pouted as he had had to spend the time at home, alone.

The friends chatted for a while before tiredness started to drag them down so they decided that it was time to head to bed.

Ueki got into bed, Tenko curling beside him, and waited for sleep to come. He was tired, his whole body seemed to be demanding the rest yet, he was having a hard time falling asleep. He tossed and turned, his brain way too awake and still trying to work the conflicting thoughts into something that made sense. But to no avail.

Suddenly his attempts at sleep were interrupted. Someone was knocking at his door.

Ueki got up, mindful of a sleeping Tenko, and opened the door a sliver. Then, seeing who it was, he pushed the door further open.

It was Mori.

“I saw that you were a little distracted before,” she said as she entered his room. She paused and turned to him. “What’s disturbing you?” Mori asked, with a small frown in her features.

Ueki’s reaction was to sigh.

_I don’t know what to say_… he thought as he leaned against the wall, crestfallen. “I don’t know, Mori.”

“Do you want to talk?” she asked. Offered.

“I don’t think I have something to say. It’s… it’s weird.” He let his head knock against the wall, trying to ease the confusion inside of him.

There was silence for a few beats. So Mori continued, undeterred.

“So… you were relieved, knowing that Sano’s feeling better.” She looked meaningfully at him. “I don’t know if you noticed it yourself but you were a little _too_ worried about Sano.” She let the words hang between them.

“Wha-! What do you mean?” Shock was evident in both his voice and face.

“Well, you blushed a little while talking about your visit, for example. And you’ve acted slightly differently towards him.” She tilted her head to the side before finally asking. “I won’t beat around the bus but, do you have feelings for Sano?”

Ueki’s reaction was instant. He blushed. And then shook his head.

“I’m not sure. But…” he looked at her, beseechingly before looking down at his feet. “What makes you say that, anyway?”

“Kousuke,” Mori said with a smile, “you so know that I have eyes in my face, right?”

Ueki’s response was just to scoff.

“Eloquent as ever…” she said, unbothered. But then she reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “But, you know that you can talk to me about anything, right? From you, I wouldn’t be surprised even if you told me that you have an alien friend…” her last words were said cheekily.

“Sometimes you can be really strange, Mori.” He said with a fond smile, before turning serious again. “I can’t tell you what I feel towards Sano because I don’t _know_. All I know is that I was worried about him. But, I was worried about everyone anyway.”

“It’s nothing for me to speak about, I’m aware. But I hope that you can find a way to define what you feel. And soon.” She smiled fondly at him. “Don’t forget that your teammates also worry about you. And we don’t want you to feel sad.” She gave a small squeeze to emphasize her words. “And now, I think I’ll go back to sleep. But, Ueki, don’t forget that you can count on us.” She finished with a wink.

“Thank, Mori.” Ueki said with a slight smile.

“Don’t mention it. And now, it’s time for you to also get some sleep.” She pointed towards the bed. “Sleep well.” And with that, she left the room. The door closing with a soft _click_.

Ueki sat in bed, musing about Mori’s words. He looked at Tenko and slipped under the covers, trying not to disturb him. Still, he lay in bed awake, staring at the ceiling for uncounted minutes.

And then, before he knew it, he was sleeping.

* * *

The following day, they went to the hospital to see Sano.

Upon arrival, they were warned that Sano was sleeping and that they were to not disturb him. But by the time they got to their friend’s room and opened the door gently, Sano turned towards them, wide awake.

“Hey guys!” he said, waving them in.

“Sano!” Several voices said as the group entered and surrounded the bed. They all reached to pat him on the arm or such. And before long Sano was being drowned in gifts, which had been bought the previous day during their trip to the celestial world.

They chatted, a bit too loudly, if the head of a frowning nurse peeking through the door was any sign but with the lunch hour approaching, they decided to go to the cafeteria.

“Want something to eat, Sano?” Hideyoshi asked helpfully.

“No need, I ate late today. And you know how I have room service.”

That elicited a round of chuckles as the friends left. Except Rinko. She waved at them and said that she would rather stay behind to keep Sano some company.

Once the door closed, Hideyoshi was quite a few steps ahead and Mori, Ueki and Tenko were a bit behind.

“I think that maybe you should stay behind to talk to Sano…” she said in a low voice.

“You think so?” Ueki asked in his customary slightly zoned-out tone.

“Yes. It’s important. Also, we won’t take long. But you should totally go back.” She concluded with a wink.

“Fine,” Ueki said, knowing that there was no use in arguing with Mori.

He patted Tenko while he saw Mori running to reach Hideyoshi, grumbling at him, by the looks of things.

Ueki approached the door once again but, the voices coming from the other side made him pause. He stopped in front of the door and couldn’t help but listen on.

“I was so worried about you,” he heard Rinko say.

“Hey, there’s nothing to worry about,” Sano replied in a reassuring voice, “I have a solid constitution. It’s not as good as Ueki’s but I do what I can.” And Ueki could hear the _cheek_ in his voice.

“It’s just that for moments I thought that I wouldn’t see you again and… and…” Rinko’s voice started raising in tone towards the end of her tirade.

“Huh?” Sano sounded confused.

“I… I LOVE YOU!”

After the explosion, silence fell on the room. And, on the other side of the door Ueki was looking shocked at the wood.

“You know,” Rinko started saying after a while, “we argue a lot but before I realized it I had feelings for you and… and…”

A nurse passed in front of Ueki and entered the room.

Meanwhile, Sano was looking at Rinko in surprise, but she was looking so earnestly at him.

The door opened and a nurse appeared.

“Visit time is over. The patient needs to rest.” Her voice was soft but lined with steel.

“But my friends went to the cafeteria. They should be coming back here.” She argued, and Sano noticed that she had placed a hand over his left one. “Can’t I wait for them in here?”

“Only outside. We have specific rules and no-one is allowed after visiting hours. Maybe your friends are coming already. I just passed a boy who was standing in front of the door.”

Sano tried to look outside the door, which Rinko had opened and taken a look outside.

“I don’t see anyone.” He heard her say. “Guess that we have to go, then.” She looked apologetically at him. “We’ll return tomorrow, yeah? Please think about what I told you.”

And with that, and under the nurse’s watchful gaze, she left the room.

Sano let out a huff and ran a hand through his hair.

_Okay… that was a lot… and, I wonder if that was Ueki, outside?_ He turned his gaze out the window, a myriad of thoughts running through his mind.

* * *

Mori and Hideyoshi were almost to the large corridor that let to Sano’s room when they met up with Rinko.

“We have to go now. Visiting hours have ended. But we will come back tomorrow.” Rinko said, moving from foot to foot.

“Oh, okay. But did you see Ueki? I haven’t seen him since we left the room.” Hideyoshi asked.

“Wasn’t he with you?” She asked. She only got headshakes in response.

“We don’t have to worry about him. It’s Ueki who we’re talking about, right?” Mori started saying. “He can defend himself and he’s with Tenko too.” She reasoned. “He’ll probably meet us at home. So, shall we?”

“Sure.”

“Of course.”

And with that they started walking towards the exit. But Mori couldn’t help but glance once or twice back.

_Something must have gone wrong_. She thought with a frown. _But, maybe it’s nothing too much. I shouldn’t worry. Ueki gets into trouble but he also gets out of it._

The three friends finally stepped outside, each painting a different image. Mori was frowning, Rinko had a small smile in her lips and Hideyoshi was looking up at the sky and walking relaxed. For the moment, everything seemed to be fine.

Mori stopped and turned once more towards the large building. But there was nothing she could do.

Ueki was long gone.


End file.
